The defect
Charles Machine Works, Inc. (Charles Machine) is recalling certain 2008-2020 Ditch Witch S4S, 2015-2021 Ditch Witch 025-1020, 2015 Ditch Witch 745-7900, 2009-2019 Ditch Witch ZS6S, and 2010 Ditch Witch ZS6S-1 trailers designed for carrying the FX20 vacuum excavator. The trailers may be missing side reflex reflectors near the front of the trailer. As such, these trailers fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Without the proper reflective equipment, the vacuum excavator trailer may have reduced visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Charles Machine will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for side reflex reflectors, and add them as necessary, free of charge. The began on March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Charles Machine customer service at 1-800-654-6481.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| Ditch Witch 745-7900 | 2015 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S-1 | 2010 |
Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2020 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 025-1020 | 2021 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch 745-7900 | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2008 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2009 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2010 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2011 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2012 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2013 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2014 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch S4S | 2020 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2009 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2010 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2011 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2012 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2013 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2014 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2015 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2016 | 0 | 1 |
| Ditch Witch ZS6S | 2017 | 0 | 1 |
Other exterior lighting recalls in 2021
51 of the 988 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2021 concerned the exterior lighting; Charles Machine Works, Inc. filed 2 campaigns in all.
| 21V00H000 23 Dec 2021 | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| 21V963000 13 Dec 2021 | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC |
| 21V950000 9 Dec 2021 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 21V903000 19 Nov 2021 | Forest River, Inc. |
| 21V887000 16 Nov 2021 | M H EBY |
| 21V867000 8 Nov 2021 | Autocar, LLC |
| 21V863000 5 Nov 2021 | Cottrell, Inc. |
| 21V831000 22 Oct 2021 | BMW of North America, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2021